I see a lot of notes about people who have removed the rear grill from the case. I see that this is done immediately, but I don't see any tests done without removing it to see how much of a difference it makes.
I somewhat dislike the idea of hacking into a $200 case and I tend to turn to modding only if I know it's really necessary.
Having said that, I plan to use Nexus 120mm fans to cool the case which will house a Precott 640 3.2Ghz P4 on an Intel D915PGN with a BFG 6800 Ultra.
What I would like to know is, with this setup, is it truly necessary to cut out the rear grill? Has anyone done some temp comparisons?
Any input or advice would be great!
Oh, and I am going to cool the CPU with an X90 with a Nexus 92mm fan.
Thanks!
R
Help with Lian Li V1000 mod question
Moderators: NeilBlanchard, Ralf Hutter, sthayashi, Devonavar
I dont know about the specific grill on that case, but I do know that even an extremely wide-spaced wire fan cover blocks significant amounts of airflow.
even the open-cell 2mm filter in the front bezel of my Xpider was choking airflow.
One of the great advantages to having a quiet system, is that even if you remove the fan grills, the fans you use run at such slow speeds that there's no danger of injuring yourself on them.
Break out the dremel and do some damage.
even the open-cell 2mm filter in the front bezel of my Xpider was choking airflow.
One of the great advantages to having a quiet system, is that even if you remove the fan grills, the fans you use run at such slow speeds that there's no danger of injuring yourself on them.
Break out the dremel and do some damage.
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davidstone28
- Posts: 556
- Joined: Tue Oct 28, 2003 5:14 am
- Location: London, UK
It is worth doing - it does make a difference to noise and cooling (both for the better) and there has been a post on this already 
I ran my V2000 for about 4 months with the grill and a Nexus 120mm simply I because was too scared to cut the aluminium and too lazy to remove the motherboard etc (aluminium dust / filings). Cooling was poor (CPU and case temps) because the grill is VERY restrictive. Also you get air turbulance from the fan blowing onto the flat surface fo the grill.
Using a Dremel - which cuts those the stuff like cheese and finishing it off with some rubber blowhole trim results in an excellent very professional looking finish. I used paper and masking tape to cover area so I didn't have to remove the motherboard etc.
CPU temps down about 2-4C and case temps about 5-6C.
If I put my hand behind the case now in front of the 120mm fan hole, the air is noticeably warm, so you can imagine what it was like with the grill in place.
I ran my V2000 for about 4 months with the grill and a Nexus 120mm simply I because was too scared to cut the aluminium and too lazy to remove the motherboard etc (aluminium dust / filings). Cooling was poor (CPU and case temps) because the grill is VERY restrictive. Also you get air turbulance from the fan blowing onto the flat surface fo the grill.
Using a Dremel - which cuts those the stuff like cheese and finishing it off with some rubber blowhole trim results in an excellent very professional looking finish. I used paper and masking tape to cover area so I didn't have to remove the motherboard etc.
CPU temps down about 2-4C and case temps about 5-6C.
If I put my hand behind the case now in front of the 120mm fan hole, the air is noticeably warm, so you can imagine what it was like with the grill in place.
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James Long
- Posts: 11
- Joined: Sat Apr 09, 2005 12:36 pm
If you havent got the case already then you might want to wait a few weeks, since Lian Li just released the updated version which has the grill already removed.
Plus it has a few other improvements which might be useful.
http://forums.silentpcreview.com/viewtopic.php?t=21044
Plus it has a few other improvements which might be useful.
http://forums.silentpcreview.com/viewtopic.php?t=21044
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rickshobbies
- Posts: 34
- Joined: Fri Feb 11, 2005 9:14 am
Well, I received the case and installed it last night. For whatever reason, I was thinking that I was going to receive the version on the Lian Li website (says "plus" I guess) but I receved the previous model instead.
So, I still have the mesh grill for now. I am also using the stock fans. If I install Nexus 120mm fans instead, with the stock grill, will it get much quieter? How much cooling would you expect to lose with the Nexus fans?
Also, where do I obtain blowhole trim if I decide to remove the grill?
Thanks!
R
So, I still have the mesh grill for now. I am also using the stock fans. If I install Nexus 120mm fans instead, with the stock grill, will it get much quieter? How much cooling would you expect to lose with the Nexus fans?
Also, where do I obtain blowhole trim if I decide to remove the grill?
Thanks!
R
Hi there.
I have the same case as you, V1000B, and it is N-O-I-S-Y!
I think the ADDA fans are quite noisy at 12v, and if you ramp them up and down (with ASUS QFan for example) they sound like a weedwacker!
I also think the rear fan grill causes a lot of turbulence. I have not used a NExus fan, so I can't comment on that, but I am going to remove my grill SOON (This weekend?) because with the fans I am using it DOES cause a lot of noise, just due to turbulence.
I would speculate that it would be noisy in your case and you probably would be happiest if you removed the grill.
I am going to use a nibbler to remove mine - I hope it works
I will use a CD to mark the hole, as suggested in some other threads.
I need quiet for the WAF, as well as my own sanity
I have the same case as you, V1000B, and it is N-O-I-S-Y!
I think the ADDA fans are quite noisy at 12v, and if you ramp them up and down (with ASUS QFan for example) they sound like a weedwacker!
I also think the rear fan grill causes a lot of turbulence. I have not used a NExus fan, so I can't comment on that, but I am going to remove my grill SOON (This weekend?) because with the fans I am using it DOES cause a lot of noise, just due to turbulence.
I would speculate that it would be noisy in your case and you probably would be happiest if you removed the grill.
I am going to use a nibbler to remove mine - I hope it works
I will use a CD to mark the hole, as suggested in some other threads.I need quiet for the WAF, as well as my own sanity
Hi
I haven't removed the grill as yet, but I have been tempted before, and this thread is moving me in the right direction!
The only thing is it would have been so much easier if I had done it before installing the motherboard etc. I know I could try masking the area (as someone mentioned above) trouble is I am paranoid (probably this is why I am posting on the SPCR site!) and concerned that just a speck of metal could find itself somewhere that I don't want it.
I have however thrown away the ADDA fans and replaced with 120mm Nexus. I've got these with Zalman variable resistors, set so that they will just start up reliably (get the voltage too low and they stall). So they start up at around 620rpm (MUCH TOO NOISY), I am then using the Aopen utility on my motherboard to reduce the speed when Windows starts, and this reduces the speed to 420rpm (which is soooo peaceful). This provides more than enough cooling for me (2Ghz Pentium-mobile, Zalman heatsink, but no CPU fan) - not sure if it would provide enough cooling for others.
PS - of course I didn't throw the ADDA fans away - I've kept them (along with several hundred (ok 50 or so) fans that I have either harvested over the years, or have spent hard cash on, in the promise that these were REALLY silent.) Never know, they might come in useful one day!
I haven't removed the grill as yet, but I have been tempted before, and this thread is moving me in the right direction!
The only thing is it would have been so much easier if I had done it before installing the motherboard etc. I know I could try masking the area (as someone mentioned above) trouble is I am paranoid (probably this is why I am posting on the SPCR site!) and concerned that just a speck of metal could find itself somewhere that I don't want it.
I have however thrown away the ADDA fans and replaced with 120mm Nexus. I've got these with Zalman variable resistors, set so that they will just start up reliably (get the voltage too low and they stall). So they start up at around 620rpm (MUCH TOO NOISY), I am then using the Aopen utility on my motherboard to reduce the speed when Windows starts, and this reduces the speed to 420rpm (which is soooo peaceful). This provides more than enough cooling for me (2Ghz Pentium-mobile, Zalman heatsink, but no CPU fan) - not sure if it would provide enough cooling for others.
PS - of course I didn't throw the ADDA fans away - I've kept them (along with several hundred (ok 50 or so) fans that I have either harvested over the years, or have spent hard cash on, in the promise that these were REALLY silent.) Never know, they might come in useful one day!
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rickshobbies
- Posts: 34
- Joined: Fri Feb 11, 2005 9:14 am
The Nexus fans are noisy? I thought they were supposed to be the most quiet of the 120mm fans. I had actually planned on running them at 12v to maximize their airflow since they are supposed to be whisper quiet even at 12v. I am cooling a Prescott, so I do need some airflow in the case.
Also, does anyone have any comments about the X90 fan blowing up or down?
Also, does anyone have any comments about the X90 fan blowing up or down?
If there's on thing I've learned over the last few years it's that noise is subjective. I give some of my users at work PCs and at the same time feel guilty that they are so noisy whilst the users say they can hardly hear them.
I purchased a Zalman reserator last year purely because one review I read said that he could not hear the thing unless he put his ear against it - well I could hear it the minute I walked in the room! After several months and a drawer full of (supposedly silent) replacement pumps, I scrapped it.
I guess I am intolerant of noise (actually without wishing to get all philosophical, I believe that the more time & money I spend on trying to eliminate noise, the more intolerant I become). I'm the sucker who buys every new product that claims to be 'silent' and for the most part find them to be anything but.
Back to the subject; yes, in my opinion, a Nexus 120 at 12v is intolerable, even slowed down to 600rpm I find it most intrusive, at 400 it's fine. But at this level it's the (according to everyone else) 'silent' spinpoint resting on a bed of foam at the bottom of my case that annoys me - that's the trouble, every time you reduce one source of noise, another starts to intrude.
Time to put the earplugs in and try to get a peaceful night's sleep.
I purchased a Zalman reserator last year purely because one review I read said that he could not hear the thing unless he put his ear against it - well I could hear it the minute I walked in the room! After several months and a drawer full of (supposedly silent) replacement pumps, I scrapped it.
I guess I am intolerant of noise (actually without wishing to get all philosophical, I believe that the more time & money I spend on trying to eliminate noise, the more intolerant I become). I'm the sucker who buys every new product that claims to be 'silent' and for the most part find them to be anything but.
Back to the subject; yes, in my opinion, a Nexus 120 at 12v is intolerable, even slowed down to 600rpm I find it most intrusive, at 400 it's fine. But at this level it's the (according to everyone else) 'silent' spinpoint resting on a bed of foam at the bottom of my case that annoys me - that's the trouble, every time you reduce one source of noise, another starts to intrude.
Time to put the earplugs in and try to get a peaceful night's sleep.